Transaction Data Reveals Shifting Consumer Fitness Preferences
Discover the Latest Fitness Industry Insights & Trends from Facteus Card Data
Fitness industry players looking to get ahead in 2024 can’t rely on last year’s data, trends, or strategies to beat out the competition this year. That’s because today’s fitness-minded consumers don’t necessarily want the same types of workouts as they did in the past — and evolving consumer preferences are becoming ever-more apparent in the latest transaction data.
In fact, even though most folks are fitness-focused at the top of the year, transaction data indicates that:
Traditional gyms and fitness brands may not be what consumers want these days.
Innovative workout options and offerings could be a better fit.
Let’s take a closer look at fitness spending to see how it's shifting, who the winners and the losers are right now, and what these changes could mean for gaining a sharper competitive edge in the fitness industry in 2024.
Bigger-Picture Shifts in Fitness Industry Trends
Consumer spending and card data have exposed some novel insights in near-real-time regarding New Year’s fitness resolutions and how those are pushing the industry in new ways.
In particular, the data shows that in 2024:
Consumers did not sign up for as many gym memberships.
Gen Z shelled out less for gym memberships than it has in the past.
Other generations spent a bit more to work out in 2024.
The peak season for fitness spending and new gym memberships may be moving away from the New Year.
24 Hour Fitness
Alo Moves
Anytime Fitness
Blink Fitness
ClassPass
Club Pilates
DownDog App
F45 Training
Future Fitness
LA Fitness
Peloton
Planet Fitness
Pure Barre
Zumba Fitness
Looking at 2024 versus 2023 data, more fitness brands have seen declines in consumer spending and market share this year when compared to last year, as shown in the table below (featuring data from roughly half of the brands examined in this analysis).
Consumer Spending by Fitness Brand, 2024
Taking the data back a year, winners and losers in terms of consumer fitness spending looked a little different, with some sharper peaks and valleys when compared to the previous year (which was arguably still feeling some residual impacts of the pandemic and the popularity of home-based fitness trends).
Consumer Spending by Fitness Brand, 2023
Overall, looking at the 2024 versus 2023 fitness spend:
There were only a couple of winners and far more losers.
The winners, who saw year-over-year (YoY) growth, were Future Fitness and Pure Barre.
The losers, who experienced consistent losses and YoY declines, included Anytime Fitness, LA Fitness, Blink Fitness, Peloton, Club Pilates, and Zumba Fitness.
Translating the numbers, all of this seems to indicate that consumers prize innovation, tailored offerings, and home- or app-based fitness options, instead of brick-and-mortar gyms with standard equipment and generic classes. No matter how state-of-the-art a gym may be, fitness-focused consumers seem to be looking for more personalized and more flexible experiences.
Fitness brands that can deliver and even trailblaze in these areas could end up beating out long-entrenched industry players at the end of 2024 and after.
More Industry-Specific Transaction Data & Insights
